Squeegee



Patented Mar. 3l, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims. (Cl. 21S- 245) This invention relates to squeegees as primarily used for washing and cleaning windows and the like and particular in wiping the same to remove the liquid or moisture.

Heretofore, the handle has been rigid with the wiping head of the squeegee and the obtuse angled relation between the handle or handle socket and the wiping head while adapted for ordinary outside or inside use where the operator is located on the same side of the window, it has been impractical to use such squeegees for r washing windows such as where a lower sash or frame is immovable and the upper sash pivoted at an intermediate point on a horizontal pivot to swing outwardly at the top and inwardly at the bottom thereby necessitating that the operator squeegee or wipe the outer surface of the lower window pane downwardly from above by reaching through the space between the top edge of the lower sash and the open upper sash. Also, in some courts or airways, certain of the windows cannot be opened and it is necessary to wash them on the outside from an open opposite window reaching across the space between the two by means of an extension handle. Such rigid handle constructions are impractical for such purposes and any pivoting arrangements heretofore provided have been unsuitable owing to the impossibility of arranging the handle at the necessary angle so that the top wiping edge of the squeegee could be moved downwardly over the glass window pane or other surface in different angular positions of the handle operating from above or at a distant point where the handle cannot be extended downwardly substantially parallel to the e pane or at a sharp angle.

lt is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a novel squeegee in which the Referring more particularly to the drawing to illustrate the construction and operation of the invention, I0 designates the wiper head or squeegee bar as a whole, which includes a metal strip f II and a similar but slightly narrower strip I2 which may be referred to as upper and lower strips made of suitable non-rusting metal such as brass or otherwise and being straight and flat throughout. The strip II may be provided with countersunk holes I3 and the strip I2 with threaded holes I4 in suitable number equidistantly spaced apart to receive screws I5 by which rubber strips I6 and I1 can be clamped therebetween so as to project from the edges of the metal strips or plates. As shown, the strip IB is the upper strip which is made slightly heavier and stiffer than the lower strip II, but both being of exible rubber or like material to eilicientlv wipe the moisture from a window or other surface. The strip I'I may also be provided with slots I8 to permit adjustment allowing for wear and so that the strip I1 will project from the strip I6 in stepped relation as indicated at I9 and the strip I5 correspondingly project from the longitudinal edges of the metal strips II and I2 and from the ends thereof as indicated at 2Q to avoid contact of the metal with the glass or other surface being wiped.

The strip I I or another strip suitably attached thereto through the medium of the three intermediate screws I5 may be provided with suitable pivotal connections such as ears 2I for pivotally connecting the wiper head to a rectangular bracket plate or frame 22 having forked ends 23 or handle is so pivoted to the wiper head through the medium of an intermediate bracket that pivotal or angular adjustment at two points is possible so that the flexible strips of Vthe wiper head may be presented at the proper angle to the surface being wiped and the handle extended upwardly or at other suitable angles relative thereto in addition to upside down as well as permitting both sides of the rubber or other flexible wiper strip to be used and assuring its usefulness to any type of window.

Further objects and advantages will appear and be brought out more fully in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is an end elevation of a squeegee in aocordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan View thereof;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

bifurcated to form spaced ears to straddle the ears 2I for pivotal connection with the latter in alignment longitudinally of the wiper head and strip I I. One or more pivots may be used but, as shown, clamping bolts 24 are employed as such pivots with their threaded ends engaged by wing nuts 25 to clamp the plate in any desired angular adjustment in relation to the wiper head and vice-versa so that, for instance, the plate may be extended at any position in an arc of substantially 18o degrees or in a reverse position from that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing and frictionally clamped at the spring or resilient ears.

The squeegee also comprises a handle socket 26 having an enlarged plate portion 2'I of flaring formation with sides 28 to stifen the same and spaced pivotal ears 29 projecting therefrom at each side and in parallel relation like the pivoted ears heretofore described and therefore interchangeably engageable therewith, while the edge of the/ plate 2I between the ears may also be turned downwardly to reinforce or stiifen said plate. The opposite side or edge of the bracket plate or frame 22 is provided with forks or bifurcated portions 30 producing spaced pairs of pivot ears the same as the forks 23 to receive the ears 29 therebetween to be pivotally connected by bolts 3| and clamped by wing nuts 32. In this manner, the handle 33 which engages the socket 2S may be swung in an arc of 180 degrees or more and in a reverse position to the extension of the bracket plate 22 so as to extend upwardly above the edge o'f the wiping head which is used to squeegee downwardly against a surface which is only accessible from the opposite side as Where the lower sash of a window cannot be opened and the upper sash swings in the manner previously described to require access to the outer surface of the lower sash by reaching through the opening between the sashes. Also, in the use of the squeegee across an airway, the wiper head is set at one angle to the bracket plate and then the handle socket and handle ext-ended at an opposite angle sharply from the first angle to permit wiping of a window from a distant point. The two pivotal connections permit adjustments at various angles in addition to permitting the use of the squeegee upside down from the ordinary use as well as the use of opposite edges of the flexible wiper strips, thereby assuring the usefulness of the device to any type of window with efficiency.

In the use of the device, it is obvious that a single pivot may be substituted for each pair cf clamping bolts in order to secure the necessary clamping of the wiper head of the squeegee in proper angular relation to the bracket plate or frame 22 and also with relation to the socket Z6 and handle 33 engaged therein. It is only necessary to loosen the clamping elements forming the pivots and then to swing the parts relative to each other to any desired position or angle and then to clamp the same as by tightening the wing nuts 24 and 32. This permits the squeegee to serve a dual or multiple function which dispenses with the necessity of bending the ordinary rigid socket in a reverse position with respect to the wiper head instead of leaving it in the ordinary obtuse angled relation to the wiper head and resulting in a weakening and breaking of the plate portion of-the socket in use. Such defects are avoided by the present construction and almost any desired angle of adjustment may be secured thereby requiring the use of only one squeegee for each operator instead of two or three.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into elfect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and Inodications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A squeegee having a wiper head provided with clamping strips and cppositely projecting wiper strips, a frame pivoted to a clamping strip and adapted to be held in adjusted angular relation with respect thereto with its pivot axis extending longitudinally of the head, and a handle socket pivoted to thev opposite edge of the frame for angular adjustment relative to the aforesaid angle of adjustmentY in a plane parallel to the aforesaid pivotal connection and adapted to be extended in reverse angles or to intersect the wiper head in an upside down position above the active edge of the wiper head.

2. A squeegee having a wiper head provided with a wiper strip, a flat one-piece rigid frame having one end pivoted directly to one side of the wiper head with its pivot extending longitudinally of the head and adapted for pivotal movement to extend from either edge thereof, means to rigidly hold the same in adjusted angula` relation with respect thereto, a handle socket pivoted directly to the opposite end of e the frame for angular adjustment relative to the connected to the head intermediately of the opposite edges thereof and parallel thereto and a handle having a socket hingedly connected to the free end of the plate and angularly adjustable at two points only parallel to each other and adapted to be extended in reverse angles or at an angle intersecting the wiper head in an upside down position above the active edge of the wiper head.

GEORGE F'. MINNIS. 

